Achieving Your Dream Practice - Start With The End In Mind

We cross the path of many therapists through our work and it is amazing how although each of their jou
eys are as individual as they are, the same issues continue to crop up. One of the commonly sited issues is that of the difficult in maintaining the same enthusiasm as you did when you first commenced training to be a massage therapist.

There are a number of reasons that this can happen. It may be that you struggle to get clients that are prepared to pay what you are worth or that things take longer to get off the ground than expected. It could be that you are waiting for the clients to knock on your door, or leaving it to them to make that next appointment when they are ready. Perhaps you are not having the ‘fun’ you expected and that it is all just a bit of a drag!

There is but one way to put an end to such obstacles and that is to start with the end in mind!

Clarify your vision – why did you select your chosen profession in the first place? Was it to help people, is because you have an interest in health, or like how the body functions? Whatever the reason, revisit it and form a picture in you mind of where you see yourself. Perhaps things have changed from your initial intention. No matter, now is the time for a new vision.

Write your vision down – once you have clarified your preferred end result, write it down. This could be a sentence, a paragraph or a whole page! The more detail the better. Writing your mental picture will help take it from a concept to something you can action.

Working backwards – list the steps to be taken. One by one, list the stages that need to be taken to reach your end result. Do not worry if this seems a long way off – just take this approach and you will have yourself a plan that can be implemented.

Take your first step! Commencing with the last step you’ve written, get started. Keep moving forward. Do not labour over the end result, but keep it in your sights. In the words of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, “obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal”. Steadily work through each phase of your plan and in good time you will find yourself where you intended to go.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help – if you are resisiting a phase on your list because it seems difficult, ask for help from someone who has already experienced it. Most people are more than happy to share their experience of how they have overcome any initial difficulties. (Remember Thomas Edison failed 1000 times before successfully inventing the light bulb.) Having a mentor can be truly inspiring.

Don’t give up! - Remember why you started along this path and keep going. This may go a little slow at times, just stay focused on your desired result and steadily move toward it.

Meet with likeminded people – seek out a group with similar interests to you and share your ideas, successes and failures. They will encourage, applaud and inspire as you walk alongside them.

Most importantly get started! It is only once action is added to the dream that it can truly become a reality.